Brunswick the 30th November 1769.
I have the honor herewith to transmit to your Lordship under the colony seal, four Acts passed at the General Assembly opened at Newbern the 23d of October and dissolved the sixth of this month, Viz,
1. “An Act for appointing an Agent to solicit the affairs of this province at the several Boards in England.”
2. “An Act for confirming the qualification of Henry Lockey, Sheriff of Beaufort County.”
3. “An Act to encourage the destroying of vermin in the several Counties therein mentioned.”
4. “An Act to impower the Justices in the several Counties therein mentioned, to establish free ferries and bridges in their respective counties, and lay a tax to defray the charges thereof.”
As these Acts appear to be sufficiently explanatory of themselves I have nothing to observe on them.
An Act entitled “A Bill in addition to an Act entitled an Act to prevent the unseasonable destruction of Fish in the rivers Meherrin, Pee Dee and Catawba, I rejected, esteeming it prejudicial to the general interest of the country, and destructive of that spirit of industry and commerce so much wanted to be encouraged in this colony. If the inhabitants up Meherrin River who are getting into a considerable trade by the herring fishery to the West India markets, were prevented from joining many seins together at the proper season, when the herrings are in shoals, the fishery would be destroyed, as one success of the sein would be very inconsiderable on
account of the width of the Meherrin River even above where it forks with the Nottoway. It is remarkable the Virginians do not complain of the want of Herrings in the Meherrin River at the proper season. Upon these principles I rejected the Bill herein inclosed.